Oh Mother: An Autobiographical Assault on the Senses
The RashDash team have left no stone unturned as they wrangle the theme of motherhood with sensitivity and a wide-angled lens. This production is a testament to the fact that no two experiences of motherhood are the same.
From the outset, there’s a sprinkle of self-deprecating humour as the performers rush to clear the cluttered stage - one of many perpetual tasks associated with being a mum. What’s left from beneath the toys, dirty plates, and endless nappies is a fairly minimal set. Scaffolding holds bold, 6-foot lettered lights that depict the glamour (and the all-consuming presence) of a new “baby”. And a dishwasher becomes the unexpected star of many scenes.
The cast interact with the set (designed by Oli Townsend) to create visual interest throughout - you’re never quite sure where they’ll pop up next. And they inhabit spaces we, as an audience, may not have thought possible. Addressing the theme of loss with a solo from within the confinements of the dishwasher creates a beautiful, moving tribute amongst a loud and lively show.
The cast navigate a dizzying number of scenes, tied together with elegant musical interludes - courtesy of Simone Seales and their cello. We get to know a few recurring characters and refrains throughout, but - for the most part - every scene is a surprise!
We watch as Abbi Greenland replays conversations with friends with such sincerity that a sense of shared identification bathes the audience. We meet “the one who’s just had a baby”, “the one who doesn’t want kids”, “the one with grand plans to reinvent parenting”, “the one with a toddler who can’t hold a conversation and feels compelled to justify themselves” - Oh Mother offers the full boxset!
Abbi Greenland as Don Giovanni (Vagina). Photo by The Other Richard.
Across several short, well-crafted scenes, we witness the power dynamics between two new parents, navigating how a baby changes them both. Helen Goalen and Abbi Greenland verbalise their feelings whilst hurling a golden baby doll at one another across the stage. In doing so, the RashDash pair serve up serious topics for debate with both sympathy and humour.
From significant discussions of abortion and loss to the introduction of the vagina personified (a pantomimic rendition of ‘Don Giovanni’ that’s nothing short of genius), the sheer breadth of this production is seriously impressive.
Just one of many moulds of motherhoods depicted on stage, one scene sees a strung-out mum releasing a stream of consciousness about the anxiety of doing it all wrong. This staccato monologue is just one of many beautifully-written moments from Greenland’s script (written in tandem with Goalen and Penny Greenland). Indeed, I found myself scribbling down quotes and lyrics after the show to preserve the ways in which RashDash have chosen to verbalise such commonly unspoken themes.
Helen Goalen as the strung-out new mother. Photo by The Other Richard.
This scene that presents a barrage of thoughts aloud is actually a fairly apt representation of the pace of the show as a whole. The cast cover a lot of ground in just 90 minutes, which leaves the audience feeling like we have stepped inside a woman’s head. We share in all the varied (sometimes contradictory) thoughts and emotions that battle for space when contemplating a decision as huge as having kids or not:
““Don’t get pregnant, don’t get pregnant… get pregnant, get pregnant, get pregnant, get pregnant, get pregnant!” ”
There’s not an ounce of cliché about this production. The cast introduce topics that are intrinsically associated with motherhood but not always considered in the same context. They tackle gender identity, dementia, and male violence; they even break the bounds of chronology as they interact with loved ones lost. Goalen offers us a fantastic caricature of a pushy mother who refuses to understand what it means to be non-binary. A single shoe plus a slamming dishwasher and the audience are in fits!
Beyond the breadth of topics and themes lies the array of theatrical techniques that RashDash employ. Contemporary movement sequences punctuate the show - some of which tell clearer, snappier stories than others (whilst some feel a little long). The cast break free from their multitudinous characterisations to engage in meta-theatrical discussions about making the show and all the things they need to say. And the whole stage becomes an audience to a real-life recording that is incredibly poignant.
As with all RashDash productions, we’re treated to superb live music throughout. The instrumental and vocal skills are faultless, but it’s the lyrics that struck me above all else. Greenland’s impassioned song about how perfect baby boys become the men that follow women home at night is timely and powerfully emotive. By contrast, the ode to the dishwasher and the “make it sexy” anthem approach motherhood from a hilarious tack. From lullabies to theme songs, each song is a sensory delight.
Whilst balancing every technique at their disposal, the cast are also careful to avoid the pitfalls of eye-rolling, baby-bashing humour. Sure they laugh at what they never thought they’d become and they knowingly tease that babies come with a lot of mess and anxiety and pain and change and general shitness. But they also dwell on the joy and beauty and pure love that they feel as mothers. This production celebrates everyone’s choice to have or not to have children, presenting a balanced response to every conversation that the text opens.
Clad in grecian togas, sequins, leotards and teddy-bear costumes, Oh Mother is chaotic, radical, thought-provoking, belly-laughing, and brilliant.
Oh Mother plays at HOME, Manchester until 28th May. For tickets and more information about the show, visit the HOME website.
Abbi Greenland and Helen Goalen depict a power struggle as new parents.
Photos by The Other Richard
Explore more of RashDash’s wonderfully eclectic theatre-making through our reviews of Three Sisters at the Royal Exchange and Future Bodies at HOME.
